Mexico on course for I4.0 with German know-how

Festo has been a stable partner to Mexican industry for over 40 years. The need for training regarding Industry 4.0 can be felt in all parts of the country, in the political and business worlds and the educational sector. Festo is currently supporting the digital transformation in Mexico with automation solutions and training measures for customers, conferences, workshops, visits by delegations and training projects relating to Industry 4.0.

Whether it be at globally active enterprises such as BMW, Continental, VW and Audi or at Mexican companies such as Bocar: there is increasing demand for state-of-the-art automation solutions and well-qualified employees in Mexico, above all in industry. This is particularly true of the automotive sector and its suppliers.

Founded in 1975, Festo Pneumatic S.A., Edo de Mexico, is today's market leader, with more than 30,000 customers from the automotive, food, chemical, pharmaceutical and electronics industry, mining and water management. Festo Mexico is among Festo’s largest national companies outside Germany and has been recording stable growth rates up to the present. Close support for customers is provided by over 400 staff working at the company headquarters in the Tlalnepantla area of Mexico City and in 14 sales offices in all the regions of the country.

Specialist training in Germany and Mexico

The Mexican market for basic and further training also offers enormous potential. Demand by German, Mexican and international companies for qualified staff, particularly in industry, is on the increase. In 2016, 118,000 Mexican students were awarded first degrees in engineering. As the country’s leading supplier of technical training solutions, Festo Didactic works closely with educational institutions and large companies throughout the country. Festo has for years been equipping technical universities and public and private training centres with learning systems and has been training students and workers in seminars and other training events in Germany and Mexico (over 200 seminars with 2500 participants per year).

“In Mexico, Festo is regarded not only as a pioneer for Industry 4.0 in automation but also as a strong partner for training. With our training programme, we are laying the foundation for professional and modern basic and further training in Mexico. Within this programme, our focus is on the current and future challenges which the Fourth Industrial Revolution brings with it,” explain Bernd Noack, General Manager and Armando Ramírez, Head of Festo Didactic Mexico.

Dual education for Mexico

Through its Didactic division in Mexico, Festo makes a considerable contribution to technical training initiatives, with everything from material for schools through to comprehensive training systems for university students and further-training concepts for engineers, teachers, skilled workers and technicians. The prerequisite for this is training related to everyday practice using the latest technology and industrial components, such as the Festo Didactic cyberphysical training factory (CP Factory).

In this area, Festo works closely with over 500 schools in all of Mexico, Mexican technical training institutions such as CONALEP and the German-Mexican Chamber of Industry and Commerce with the aim of generating enthusiasm for technology among young people and establishing a dual training system in Mexico amongst others based on the German model.

In 2016/17, Festo took part in the joint Germany-Mexico Year, with an emphasis on Industry 4.0 and the dual training system. This included a symposium “Industria 4.0 - Connected Industry, La cuarta revolución industrial” on 2nd March 2017 in Mexico City, involving CAMEXA, Bosch, Siemens and T-Systems.